Photos of what I did '71

Rocky Raab

Here's a shot refueling my favorite plane, tail number 014. Note there are no other markings or insignia other than those three digits. VERY covert mission. (Yes, everything was that red. We all wore pink undies LOL!)



And here is a shot that is almost certainly me. I remember this night combat mission very well, and largely due to that really nasty weather over Cambodia - where I was going.

Dundee Tom

Ah, the push-pull Cessna 337 Skymaster/"Mixmaster." Marvelous plane to fly: stable, no asymetric thrust if an engine is lost, and good fuel consumption for a twin. Great FAC platform. Always wanted to own one after flying the turbo-pressurized version.[8D]

Dave Fisher15

We called them plames a Suck and Blow

Dave Fisher15

We called them planes a Suck and Blow sin loi for the blind fingers

Rocky Raab

Tom, the turbo-pressurized one sounds like a different airplane. Then again, we flew them 10% over max gross weight for our NORMAL takeoff weight, and I launched one black night almost 25% over. Rolled 5,000 feet and only lifted off when I bounced off the rocks at the end of the overrun.

In our normal configuration, we could get no more than 500 fpm climb rate, and 300 was more usual if it was hot. It absolutely would not maintain altitude on the front engine alone, and might not on the rear alone. With rocket pods on, you could dive it at full power and not get up to the redline of 173 knots. We called it the Sky Pig.

Dundee Tom

The standard 337 wasn't a hot performer, for sure. I thought the military version had either larger engines than the standard's 0-360 Lycomings, or was blown. 'Course, you guys carried a load and a half!

Hats off to you.

I did like the turbo/pressurized version, for sure.

Rocky Raab

Standard O-360s and variable props.

I'm told that max gross for the nearest civvie version was 4400 pounds. My daily go weight was 4850, and that night I described, I rolled at 5400. I think my knuckles were white for two weeks ...

Dundee Tom

I can relate. I had some icing in my 250 Comanche that was right out of the textbook and my knuckles practically glowed in the dark.[xx(]

Rocky Raab

I hate to tarnish the image of a the brass-cajoned, steely-eyed FAC, but I darn near shat when I felt that big bang and lurch - until I realized I was sorta-kinda flying afterward.

I'll never know if I actually rolled the whole 5,000 feet plus overrun and then hit a rock, or simply drifted off the edge near the end and hit something there, though. Because our runway was outside the wires, in bad guy land, we had to take off blacked out - plane AND runway.

If that scares, you, we LANDED that way, too. No foolin'.

Dundee Tom

Have some kind of ILS/MLS set-up?

Rocky Raab

Nope. No published approach to that field. We had a TACAN nearby from which many of us "cobbled up" our own approaches, but that's it.

At night, we'd come in over the nearby city, keeping known buildings/lights aligned as much as possible and start the stopwatch over a known one. Then we'd aim for the blackest hole ahead of us - which was the blacked-out airport. If the bad guys heard our engines, the "rainbow arch" of tracers usually crossed over the field, which helped!

When we thought we were about 15 seconds from touchdown, we'd radio the two jeeps who had raced out of the compound (with their lights out) and faced each other 1,000 feet down the runway. At our call, they'd flip on their headlights and we'd slip, crab or somehow throw the plane between them, slam down and roll out on the compass. As soon as we passed them, the jeeps would kill all lights and roar off behind us down the runway to the far end, where the only taxiway was.

Everybody thought that the guys in the jeeps had the scariest job.

Dundee Tom

I think I'd have turned the lights on, then retreated to a safer place. Still flying?

airmung

Skymaster, Skysmasher, Skythrasher, Huff and Puff, Suck and Blow, Bugsmasher, Duck, Push-Pull, Push-me Pull-you, Sky Pig, The B.S. Bomber and other names apply to the Cesna 337 variants. They all had Continental IO-360, 210 HP, 6 cylinder engines, the T337 (turbocharged) and P337 (pressurized) had TSIO 360 series engines (turbo-supercharged-fuel injected-opposed). The pressurized airplanes used larger-capacity turbochargers to provide bleed air for pressurizing the cabin. None had Lycoming engines. All had a 30 knot built-in headwind, with marginal single-engine performance (the remaining operating engine usually just takes you to the scene of the crash).
I have maintained many 337 series airplanes and 1 336 over the years. They aren't especially mechanic-friendly, especially the pressurized ones. For my money a Piper Seneca II-III-IV-V is a much better airplane, but the O-2 certainly filled its niche well.

sandwarrior

We had one at our A&P school in Helena. It was a turbo'd 337. But I don't remember if it was pressurized. It flew in and one of the instructors with a pilots license took it up. He's flown a bunch of them before. His thought was like airmungs'. If you're carrying anything, even extra fuel, the good engine is only going to take you a little further along to the site of the crash.

I'm not a pilot, but I did a lot of commuting on company planes when I worked for Butte Aviation. In the mornings it was a Seneca II and in the afternoons it was anything from a C-182, C-210, PA-31-350, PA-28-T200 (lead sled), C-402 even C-414/Ram IV. Of all of them I liked the Chieftain the best. Although, I'd have to say the 402 had a better wing under you in case something did happen. When I worked for another company in Billings they had Aero Commanders. Those were a trip. Great plane.

Rocky Raab

Tom, the field was under civilian control (not many people know that Vietnam had commercial airlines - sorta). But they locked the tower - and the light controls - at sunset. We tried putting one of our pilots in the tower when we flew nights to control the lights and radio, but he was alone up there, outside the wire and completely vulnerable. I pulled that duty once, and felt like a bullet magnet. I was used to being shot at in a plane, but sitting there in one place scared the bejabbers out of me.

I haven't flown in years. The dollars went to daughters, and after a while, it simply got too expensive. I miss it, though.

Dundee Tom

Me, too, Rocky. Me, too. Had a Mooney, Bellanca Viking (sweet!) and a 250 Comanche (very utilitarian with its space and load capabilities). Trouble is, I wasn't wealthy and I had to give it all up after getting all the ratings. But I've got some wonderful memories...[;)]

johnhardy

We called them beautiful!!!
A2/5 1ACD

Dundee Tom

Works for me, johnhardy. Happy New Year![;)]